Elbow and Ankle joints

[Shotokan-kez]

Do any of you suffer with joint problems? If you do how do you deal with it, especially when a dr can't help and its all down to self help to ease it?

I'm having problems with my right elbow, it's seriously effecting my training because i'm finding it hard to punch, block and perform strikes like uraken and elbow strikes. It's only painful when i bend it.

Second is my left ankle, the pain is mainly at the side (outside) and front of the ankle. This is even worse for my training because of stances, moving around ect.

So would support bandages help? My only problem with them is that they may restrict my bloodflow?? Do you guys think this could lead to more serious issues like artiritus when im older?

[tallgeese]

I'd seriously look for a second opinion for starters. Stuff like you're describing can easily flair up and interfear with activities of daily living as well, and now you're talking about it interfearing with work as well. I'd keep looking to see if any one could help.

That being said, I'm a big fan of reqular use of anti-inflammatorys. When things really flair up, or I'm on a training day, I will take 2-3 advil pre and post work out. Just don't take so much that it bothers your stomach.

Wrappling can be benificial, espically with the ankle, just don't count on it to erase the pain entirely or deal with the underlying issue. It will just help with the support of the joint, nothing more. Still, they can make an injury feel better.

In respect to the ankle specifically, try either having a partner tape it, or use a lace up brace with hard plastic stays on each side. This may serve to support the ankle better than mere wrapping.

Over-compression is a concern so make certain that you still have good circulation after it's applied. Give it a function test or two just so you can ensrure that the joint is moing properly. Tingling is a bad sign.

The home remedy treatment itself won't lead to conditions later in all likelyhood. However, whatever is going on with you joints may indeed lead to larger problems later. Which is part of the reason I'd get things looked at by a second doctor if possible. You certainly can't discout as well that any atheles in general, and combat athletes specifically, put a treamendous amount of stress on their body. This does pre-dispose us to certain conditions later in life as a reslut of the continous trauma we put on it. Better to limit it's effects as much as possible.

[DWx]

I also have problems with my ankles. I was born with my ankles set at something like 3° more turned out than they should be (so I'm slightly duckfooted ). Instead of my weight falling down the centre of me feet it falls slightly to the back outer edges. If I'm on my feet all day sometimes an ankle will tighten up and it has to be strapped for the next couple of days. Sometimes hurts my knees too because the weight is again going down the outside edges. Other than that it doesn't bother me on a day to day basis. The only thing is I'm prone to landing funny and going over onto the sides of my ankles and this can lead to spraining it. For me supports help a lot. I've always found neoprene type supports to be the best as they stretch and allow lots of movement but they don't provide that much support if you're needing a proper brace. Anti-inflammatory gels are good to have, I usually carry some Movelat in my bag when training.

A second opinion might be worth getting. If it is untreatable you have to make the best of it you can by making sure you have it strapped, have ice on hand or whatever you need. You may end up having to adapt certain techniques slightly.

Is it a recent thing or something you've had for a long time? If its recent it may just be a case of taking time off to rest.

[Shotokan-kez]

Thanks for the advice. I think i will go see another doctor, its well worth doing. It's my ankle that bothers me more than my elbow because i use that for most things. For instance, after performing the jumps in kanka-sho and empi, its agony. Sometimes i will get out of bed in the morning and the pain will be bad and i cant put pressure on my foot.

No its not a recent thing. It started with my elbow about a year ago but i have just put up with it, my gp just said to take anti-inflammatories. My ankle started early this year. Thats why it has come to my attention recently, because it has become more painful than normal.

I think i will take another visit to the gp and maybe a health shop. Thanks again guys.

[bushido_man96]

I have problems with my knees. I think that the main culprit is from my weight, though. Some days, my knees feel pretty good, and others, it just hurts to walk; forget about kicking. Sometimes I'll pop some ibuprofen, but I take glucosimine/chongroidant every day.

[Tiger1962]

Do any of you suffer with joint problems? If you do how do you deal with it, especially when a dr can't help and its all down to self help to ease it?

I'm having problems with my right elbow, it's seriously effecting my training because i'm finding it hard to punch, block and perform strikes like uraken and elbow strikes. It's only painful when i bend it.

Second is my left ankle, the pain is mainly at the side (outside) and front of the ankle. This is even worse for my training because of stances, moving around ect.

So would support bandages help? My only problem with them is that they may restrict my bloodflow?? Do you guys think this could lead to more serious issues like artiritus when im older?

I'm just curious - how long have you been training? Because I'm having some joint problems too and my doc says its probably all these years of my training barefoot & all that jumping around was bound to take its toll on my ankles, feet & legs. That's his opinion of it anyway. (I wonder what happens to other martial artists after so many years of training - do they all suffer from these things too?)

In any case, yes, I'd wrap it for support - but not too tightly (that's what I was told) and ice it when you get home after class. If the pain is really bad, you might want to get an MRI just to check out in detail what's going on inside. That's what my doc told me to do.

[Shotokan-kez]

Ive been training constant now for around four years, i'm not sure it's that causing the problems though. I have actually been okay for a while, just because sometimes i can go a while without any pain then it will just happen out of the blue.

[joesteph]

I'm having problems with my right elbow, it's seriously effecting my training because i'm finding it hard to punch, block and perform strikes like uraken and elbow strikes. It's only painful when i bend it.

ometimes i can go a while without any pain then it will just happen out of the blue.

 

I've had elbow problems in the past, and I noticed you said "when I bend it," as well as "out of the blue."

 

I discovered at one point that I was irritating a nerve in the elbow, feeling an ache there upon bending it, and that it did come and go. The root of the problem was where that sharp bone is at the end of the forearm, that outer area; even though the whole joint ached, that was the origin. If you feel it gently with your fingers, you'll notice it's got an indentation in it. There's a nerve that runs there. You could have irritated it, and one way of doing that is by elbow strikes, such as repeatedly slamming back against a target (as though someone were behind you), or another elbow strike similar to that motion and impacting with that particular spot against the target. I also found that at those times the position my arm--and therefore my elbow--was in was too cramped in the bent position when in bed, likely contributing to the nerve's discomfort.

 

Should a doctor say there's nothing that can be done for it, Shotokan, that's a cue to get a second opinion; I've received this answer before, and have had success with a fresh point of view. What I made sure I didn't do, though, was to say too much (as in Dr. So-and-So told me . . .). Let the second doctor make determinations without preconceived notions.

 

[tallgeese]

That's a very good point. No need to muddy the waters with others opinions. That's the point of the second opinion.

[Shotokan-kez]

One doctor actually told me i had tennis elbow!